I just bought a small 1995 or 1996 Gary Fisher Marlin 15.5 inches for my girlfriend for $45. It'll be a project for me to improve my mechanical skills and get her back on a bike.

This is an all chromoly steel frame/fork setup, fully rigid.

Comfort and speed are very important to her, she had a bad experience with her last bike a few years ago, a modern Trek Hybrid. It was causing her extreme chronic leg pain by pinching a nerve.

I chose a mountain bike because of the increased q-factor, and I'm planning to put on the MKS RMX "Sneaker" pedals +- some 18mm pedal extenders. Hopefully this will help mitigate her leg pain.

I never saw her on the other bike, but I'm planning to keep this one at a proper fit, with a correctly positioned saddle, etc.

Even if she ends up not riding the bike, I want to keep it around as a guest bike for friends and my brothers, so it won't be a loss.

1) I'd really like to try putting on a BMX stem/handlebars on the bike. I've seen a few mountain bikes around Austin converted to what looks like to be BMX cruisers with gears, and they look like a lot of fun to ride. Anyone on this forum try this? I was thinking about this: http://www.danscomp.com/361050.php?cat=PARTS

2) I'm trying to remove as much weight as possible. It currently has a steel stem and handlebars, so I'll be replacing these with aluminum (either riser or BMX). Would moving to a 1x7 setup reduce any weight? (Currently has 3x7).

3) Any other tips?